''Earnest Evans'' is a 1991 platform sidescroller made by [[Creator/TelenetJapan Wolf Team]], with music composed by Creator/MotoiSakuraba for the Creator/{{SEGA}} [[UsefulNotes/SegaCD MegaCD]] (in Japan only), with a watered down [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis/MegaDrive]] port released overseas. It is chronologically the first chapter of the "Earnest Evans trilogy", ironically being the only game in which you play as Earnest.

The game takes place in 1926, in various different ruins and temples around the world, as U.S. treasure hunter Earnest Evans finds himself entangled in a sinister plot hatched by mafia bigwig UsefulNotes/AlCapone and cult leader Ulrich to resurrect the dark god Hastur. Along the way, Earnest is joined by Annet Myer, the heroine of ''VideoGame/ElViento'', whom he finds in an old temple, offered as a sacrifice to Hastur, and the enigmatic Zigfried Munchaunsen, a man who also seeks to stop the return of Hastur.

The Mega Drive/Genesis version goes a different route, set in the 1980s, thus attempting to make it a sequel to ''El Viento'', wherein you are Earnest Evans' grandson, also called Earnest Evans, as you attempt to collect three special idols before they are used by a never-appearing villain named Brady Tressider, to summon another dark god called Mavur. Or, at least, [[AllThereInTheManual that's what the manual says]].

The titular hero is made up of multiple sprites put together to create the illusion of more fluid movement, a sprite technique that would later be used to better effect by Capcom for ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' on the Sentinel and VideoGame/{{Cyberbots}}, and Konami's ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''.

Further details about its plot are scarce due to the fact that no effort so far has been made in translating the cutscenes to English. For a more detailed attempt at analyzing this game, you can check out the Earnest/Annet trilogy shrine by [=RageQuitter87=] [[http://rq87.flyingomelette.com/RQ/A&E/EE/1.html here]], where he also has a look at ''El Viento'' and distant sequel ''Annet Futatabi''.

Or you can check out the game in its entirety via WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}}'s hilarious video of said game [[http://blip.tv/slowbeef/earnest-goes-to-anime-5467989 here]].

----!!This game provides examples of:

* AlliterativeName: Earnest Evans.* AllThereInTheManual: The plot is completely relegated to this for the Genesis port due to space limitations. No cutscenes at all.* AnachronismStew: Though its set in 1926, at one point we see a newspaper advertising Music/IronMaiden's [[http://rq87.flyingomelette.com/RQ/Annet/earnestl10bonus1.png World Slavery tour]]. Who knew they could time travel?* BulletHell: One of the bosses in the final level.* CatchingSomeZs: When getting the sleeping potion.* ChainReactionDestruction: It happens particularly with bosses.* DangerouslyShortSkirt: After joining Earnest on his journey, Annet appears to be wearing what seems to be a maid outfit that barely touches her thighs.-->'''LetsPlay/{{slowbeef}}''': All right. Why are you wearing that? Are you fucking joking with me?* DerangedAnimation: Earnest, who moves like a deranged marionette and flails a whip around like he's insane.%%* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu* DrivesLikeCrazy: Annet in level 6 is likely to accidentally hit Earnest and ends up ramming into a wall.* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Giant bugs, moai statues, giant knife-throwing scorpions, earthworms, giant floating worms, coal monster, bouncing ribcages, windworms, death traps, giant spiders, floating skulls and so on.* {{Expy}}: The game itself could be considered one big ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' ripoff, with Earnest wielding a whip, outrunning a boulder (When the game works right), the game itself being set in the 1920s similar to the Indy movies generally being set around UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and at one point you can get a powerup which has Earnest don a hat. Which also gives him a [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest flame whip]], leading to comparisons with ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'', including to do with the platforming elements and Earnest using a whip.* FakeDifficulty: One of the worst examples. To quote slowbeef, who says the line ''several times'' during his riff on the game:-->''*seeing attacks that covers the entire screen or leave no space to dodge them*''-->'''LetsPlay/{{slowbeef}}''': HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DODGE THAT?* FlashOfPain: Enemies flash when hit.* GiantSpider: One of the enemies encountered.* HeelFaceTurn: When Zigfried first appears to Earnest and Annet, he is not on their side, giving a good dose of EvilLaughter and hostility as well as holding the Necronomicon. By level 6, he's suddenly switched sides.* HumanSacrifice: Annet is about to become one when Earnest rescues her.* HyperactiveMetabolism: Earnest can eat apples and roast chickens found in old caves and temples with no fear of food poisoning. Logically the roast meat in Level 1 would be dust by now.* IndyEscape: In the first level once the boss has been beaten...although due to bad coding you can jump over the boulder and end up with the paradoxical sight of the boulder outrunning you. [[WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} Follow that boulder, Indy!]]. Albeit several smaller rocks will try to get you too, but still.** Played far more straight in the credits which features a repeating animation of Earnest outrunning a boulder...which squashes him at last when the credits finish.* LovecraftLite: Despite the presence of cults dedicated to the return of their lovecraftian dark gods, the series doesn't exactly convey a sense of existential cosmic dread.* MadeOfExplodium: A lot of the enemies explode gloriously in this game.* MercyInvincibility: Horridly averted. Nothing can stop Earnest from taking damage rapidly before getting killed.* NakedOnArrival[=/=]NakedFirstImpression: Annet first appears to both Earnest and the audience nude on a sacrificial altar. Earnest gives her his jacket.* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Al Capone appears in the cutscene preceding level 6. Sega CD only, though. Its arguable whether Brady was meant to be this for him in the Genesis port.* NoExportForYou: The UsefulNotes/SegaCD version. Overseas territories only got the Genesis version with no in-game story.* OffModel: Oh boy, this game's got it bad. Firstly the main character, in game, is made up of several sprites put together for an illusion of more fluid movement. However the execution instead makes Earnest look very much [[DerangedAnimation freaky]], like a puppet operated by a guy with the tremors, especially when he flails his whip around, which looks exceedingly hilarious. This happens for a multitude of enemies too, though for the non humans it works slightly better. ** The cutscenes are hardly better either. Several characters are drawn with poor proportions and Earnest's cheek bandage keeps disappearing in random frames.* PointlessBandAid: Earnest's cheek bandage. Assumed to be pointless since [[OffModel it disappears in cutscenes at times]].* PoisonMushroom: The sleeping potion. Get this and Earnest will just fall asleep, leaving him vulnerable to enemy attacks.* RagdollPhysics: Earnest. Combining this with a somewhat slippery engine and his somewhat OffModel sprite tends to leave him flailing around like a loose marionette.* RaidersOfTheLostParody: The game is pretty much this, all the way to the "rolling boulder scene" in the closing credits [[spoiler: that squashes Earnest in the end]]. The titular hero is a whip-wielding archaeologist, chasing after a macguffin that would summon the dark god Hastur and end the world. The first level is very much like the opening of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', rolling boulder and all (though a bug allows you to get ''behind'' the boulder) and subsequent levels have Earnest travel the world shown with a red line along a map. About the only element absent is the Nazis, replaced by both the cult of Hastur, and the Mafia. * ScenicRoute: At one point Earnest travels from South America to Europe. However, because the world map doesn't WrapAround, he ends up traveling from South America ''across the Pacific and Asia'' to get there.* ShoutOut: An anachronism-tastic shout out to Music/IronMaiden at one point, as well as the recurring appearance of the Necronomicon as well as all the Cthulthu shout outs. The mooks in level 6 also have a stunning resemblence to [[StreetFighter Guile]].* SpikesOfDoom: This game has quite a lot of them.* SuperNotDrowningSkills: In the few bits where there's water, and level 11, which is entirely underwater in a boss fight with a mutant fish, Earnest sees no need to surface for air or find air bubbles.* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Ulrich the cult leader, who speaks with UsefulNotes/AlCapone in level 6's cutscene never appears again afterward, though its likely he was the penultimate boss in level 12.* WhipItGood: Evans' default weapon.* WrapAround: A strange example in level 11's boss fight. It wraps ''vertically'' and is quite noticable, considering the room has no floor. So you can let yourself fall and watch yourself pass by the boss repeatedly.----